Linoleum rack



Feb. 25, 1947. G. s. BEAULIEU LINOLEUM BACK 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed 001;. 12, 1944 INVENTOR. George JLBeauZdeu,

ATTORNEY- G. S. BEAULIEU LINOLEUM RA K Filed Oct. 12, 1944 Feb. 25, 1947. 2,416,509

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

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LINOLEUM RACK Filed Oct. 12, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEIYTOR. eorgafifieaulzeu,

Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LI OL BA K George S. Beaulieu, Polson, Mont. Application October 12, 1944, Serial No. 558,411

8 Claims.

This invention appertains to display and dispensing apparatus generally, and more particularly to a type thereof for the display and dispensing of materials to be vended from rolls, such as linoleum and the like.

One of the several objects of the invention is to provide a rotor for the display and inspection of a number of rolls of linoleum or like materials, in conjunction with a supporting structure formed, in part, for the display of' samples of stock materials, other than those that may be positioned on the rotor, or of other unrelated merchanise Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of means for facilitating the emplacement of rolls of material on the display rotor and for dispensing measured portions of the material from the rolls, after the selection of such portions for purchase and without necessitating the removal of the rolls from the rotor.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a means for re-rolling a measured portion of a selected material as it is unwound from a supply roll carried on the rotor, and another means for severing the measured portion after its re-rolling and prior to its removal, in rolled state, from the supporting structure for delivery to the purchaser.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a display and dispensing apparatus of this character, which is attractive in appearance, practical and eflicient in use, and of a compact construction and arrangement that will effect an appreciable saving in floor space, from that ordinarily required for the display, handling and cutting, of roll materials, particularly linoleum, as wellfas in time and temper usually expended in the showing and dispensing of such materials,

With these and other objects and advantages of equal importance in view; the invention resides in the certain new'and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 4

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved display stand and dispensing apparatusfin accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a view imilar to'that of Figure 1,

but showing the opposite side thereof;

Figure 3 is a front end elevation;

Figure 4 is a top plan View; I

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section through the rotor and one of the rolls of material mounted thereon; I

Figure i0 is a horizontal section through the roller upon which a measured length of material, from one of the supply rolls, is e-rolled, and showing the means for securing the free end of the material to the roller, prior to the winding and cutting operations;

Figurell is an enlarged elevation of the material securing means per se;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional. detail, showing the arrangement of the cutter guides; and,

Figure 13 is a perspective View of the cutter I per se.

' Referringto the drawings, wherein like charactor of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, the embodi ment of the invention, as it is exemplified therein, is comprised in an elongated flat base 2|, which is squared at one end rounded at its other end to substantially conform to the periphery of a rotor 29 that is mounted thereon for rotation about a vertical axis. Rising from the base 2| in the plane of its longitudinal center, is a partition 22 that extends inwardly from the square d end to a point immediately adjacent the inner side of the rotor and upwardly to a point well abovethe top end of the latter; The upperend portion ofthe partition 22 i ezgtended, as at 23, immediately above the top end of the rotor 29 to overlie the same'for a, distance slightly greater than one half of its diameter. Extending to one side of the inner edge of the partition 22, to which it is secured below the extended portion 23, is a transverse wall 24, directly in rear ;of which is a tier of shelves'25 that are supported on brackets 26 secured to the near side of thepar titionr This transverse wall 24, in addition to closing off theinrier ends of the shelves'25 from the rotor 29, also serves as an erreajw brace to the partition 22, (Bo-extensive with the upper elongated portion of the partition 23, in the time of the loweredge of the extended portion 2 3, is a single shelf 2] that is supported brackets 28 secured to the partition on its side'opposite to that on which the" shelves 25 aretmkaea;

The rotor 29 is comprised in a cylindrical body that has its lower end supported upon and secured to a turntable 3| and its upper end provided with a stub axle or shaft 32 that has bearing in the lower edge of the extended portion 23 of the longitudinal partition 22. Interposed between the base 2| and the turntable 3| is an annular ball race 33 which has its upper raceway secured to the under side of the turntable and its lower raceway to the upper side of the base. Opening through the periphery and both ends of the rotor body 29, is a series of channels or recesses 39, six of the same being shown for the purposes of this description, each of which is designed to receive and house a full roll of material and. preferably has its inner side made semi-circular to facilitate the turning movement of the roll during the unwinding of the material therefrom as required. I

To facilitate the handling of the rolls 34 in loadin them onto the rotor 29, each of the same is up-ended and supported at its lower end on a platform truck, which is comprised in a disc 35 that has its upper side provided with a central stud 36, for engagement in the lower end of the open center of the roll, as is best shown in Figure 5, and its lower side with a centrally located socket to seat over a ball bearing 31. Also, a loading platform, comprised in an elongated runway 39, is extended from the base 2|, at one side of the rotor 29, and is held in position by lugs 39 depending from the under side of its inner end for engagement in slotted recesse 39 opening through the edge of the base, with the inner end overlapping the edge of the base and terminating in close proximity'to the edge of the turntable 3|, so that its top surface lies in the plane of the top surface of the latter, and the roll will pass directly from the runway and into a recess 30, the several recesses being successively alined with the runway by rotative movements of the rotor 29 for the purpose. To guide a roll 34 along the runway 38, one or more channeled trackways 49 are provided in its top surface to be engaged by the ballbearing 31 of the roll support or truck 35, upon which the rolls retained when positioned within a recess 30, of the rotor 29, and until all of the material is dispensed. Mounted in the top surface of the turntable 3|, and centered with respect'to the semi-circular inner wall of each of the recesses 30, is a socket 4| to seat the ball bearing '3'! upon which the supporting disc 35 turns during the. unwinding of material from the roll. To sustainthe roll 34 in upright position within a recess 39, the upper end of its open center is engaged bya stud-4'2,

that is formed on the under side of a plate 43 the shelf 21 and the free end of the material will 7 then be passed to a cutting mechanism and from thence to a rewinding roller upon which it is posed vertically of .thespacc and has bearing at itslower end in a socket 46in thebase 2| while its upper end is engaged with a spring V claimed.

clip 41, of split annular form, that is secured on th under side of the shelf 21, by which arrangement, the roller may be readily removed and replaced as required. In use, the roller 45 is removed by having its upper end snapped from its engagement with the clip 47 and lifted, while canted, to free its lower end from the socket 45, when the free end of the material will be attached to it by being engaged in a slot 48 extending longitudinally thereof. The slot 48 opens into a pocket 49 in which the end of the material is received for positive securement against unintended displacement, to which end, the side walls of th pocket are angularly disposed in relation to the slot to cause an angular bending of the inserted end portion toward the outer side of the pocket, against which it is forcibly held by a series or fingers 50 spaced along a rod or shaft 5! extending lengthwise through the pocket. The rod or shaft 5| is mounted in suitable bearings and has its upper end squared, as at 52, and exposed through the top end of the roller 45 for the engagement therewith of a crank handle 53 for its manipulation. A disc 54 is mounted on the roller 45 adjacent its lower end, immediately below the slot 48, to support the material in wound state until it is severed from the main supply and is removed for delivery to the purchaser. To remove the severed portion of the material fromthe roller 45, the roller is removed from its bearings, as before stated, when the rod or shaft 5| will be turned by the hand crank 53 to release the fingers 50 from the edge of the material within the pocket 49, following which the roller will be withdrawn endwise from the rolled material, theinner end of which passing outwardly of the upper end of the slot 48 which opens through the top end of way between the rotor 29 and the re-winding roller 45, and comprises ,a pair of parallel guide bars 55 which are secured at their upper and 1 lower ends, respectively, to the shelf 21 and the of the material is wound on the roller 45 suniciently to position its connected end in line with the roller 59, a vertical movement of the cutter 58 on the guide bars 55 will sever the measured length from the'main supply.

From this description, it is thought that a-display and dispensing rack or stand for roll materials, such as linoleurn, oil cloth, and'the like, of

the design and construction specified is particularly adapted for use in salesrooms where space V is limited and competent salespersons are at a premium, and it is to, be'understood that the invention is susceptible to so me' changes and modification which may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit thereof or its scope as Having thus describedithe invention, what is claimed is:.

i 1. An apparatus of the .class described, comprising a base, a cylindrical rotor mounted on a turn table mounted .on the base and having a plurality of recesses formed longitudinally in its periphery for the positioning of a roll of mate rial in each of the same, circular discs having a central stud on their upper surfaces and a central socket on their lower surfaces to receive a ball bearing positioned in a corresponding socket in the turntable at the center of each of the rotor recesses, whereby said roll of material is rotatably mounted for the unwinding thereof, a cut-- ting mechanism mounted on the base at one side of the rotor, and a winding roller mounted on the base at the side of the cutting mechanism opposite the rotor to receive a measured length of a selected material unwound from one of the supply rolls to sustain the same in proper position relatively to the cutting mechanism.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, with the base being of flat elongated form, squared at one end and rounded at its other end, and having the rotor mounted on a vertical axis in substantially concentric relation to its rounded end, the winding roller being similarly mounted adjacent its squared end and the cutting mechanism substantially midway between the rotor and the winding roller.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, with the base being of flat elongated form, squared at one end and rounded at its other end, and having the rotor substantially centered with respect to its rounded end, and having a vertical partition extending inwardly from the squared end in line with the vertical center of the rotor, the winding roller being mounted adjacent the squared end of the base to one side of the partition and the cutting mechanism substantially midway between the rotor and the winding roller.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a flat elongated base, squared at one end and rounded at its other end, a rotor mounted on a turntable on a vertical axis substantially concentric of the rounded end of the base and having a series of recesses formed longitudinally of its periphery for the positioning of a roll of material to be dispensed in each of the same, circular discs having a central stud on their upper surfaces, and a central socket on their lower surfaces to receive a ball bearing positioned in a corresponding socket in the turntable at'the center of each of the rotor recesses whereby said roll of material is rotatably mounted for'the unwinding thereof, a vertical partition extending inwardly from the squared end of the base in line with the vertical center of the rotor, the upper end of the partition being extended to overlie the upper end of the rotor to support a bearing for the latter, a winding roller mounted vertically of the base adjacent its'squared end to one side of the partition to receive a measured length of material selected from one of the supply rolls on the rotor, and a cutting mechanism mounted vertically on the base substantially midway between the rotor and the winding roller.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, with a single shelf bracketed to the partition above the winding roller and the cutting mechanism and supporting a bearing for the winding roller and a securement of the cutting mechanism at its lower side.

6. The apparatus as in claim 4, with means for loading rolls of materials to be dispensed into the recesses in the rotor, said means being constituted in a loading platform adapted to be positioned relatively to the base for the successive alinement of the recesses in the rotor therewith and indi vidual movable supports for the upper ends of up-ended rolls of material, which supports act as bearings for the rolls during the unwinding of the materials.

'7. The apparatus as in claim 4, with the cutting mechanism in the form of a pair of parallel guides disposed vertically on the base and a cutter slidably mounted on the guides and including a roller positioned so as to support the material during manipulation of the cutter.

8. The apparatus as in claim 4, with means embodied within the winding roller to secure the free end of the measured length of material to be wound thereupon prior to the cutting operation.

GEORGE S. BEAULIEU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

